Thornhill driving range battle tees off at OMB

A Thornhill Residents’ group intent on stopping a proposed golf centre development recently brought the fight before the Ontario Municipal Board.

“Literally, it’s a pile of mud,” said Joel Starkman, president of the Leslie Street Thornhill Ratepayers Association of a four-metre-high berm proposed to separate the facility from residential properties. “It’s like looking at a construction site. You tell me if you want that in your backyard.”

Submitted by Within Range Golf Centres Inc., the proposal seeks to build an outdoor driving range with chipping and putting areas, a clubhouse with patio and a miniature golf course on leased land at 8111 Leslie St.

The property, currently a vacant hydro corridor, is owned by the Ontario Realty Corporation and backs onto residential properties on Summerdale Drive. Starkman said there are four main concerns for residents with the proposal: increased noise, traffic volumes, facility lighting and the berm.

He estimated that overall legal costs for his group’s opposition to the plan would total approximately $35,000 to $40,000, with the money coming from association member donations. Fundraising drives are also planned, Starkman said.

Scott Rukiak, owner of Within Range, said that there had been a lot of misinformation with regard to the development and that efforts had been made to accommodate questions and concerns from the community.

“When they first formed their ratepayers group, we asked to go to a meeting with them and sit down and explain everything to them,” Rudiak said. “And they sent us off an e-mail that said, ‘We don’t want you to attend.’

I can’t really address their issues if they won’t sit down with us.” Rudiak said traffic increases in the area from the centre would be negligible as would light increases, as all installed lighting would face away from residential properties. He added that the berm already exists on the property, standing two metres tall. “We’re not the evil developers,” Rudiak said. “We’re a small company. The design of the whole project was with the neighbours in mind.”

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